New Delhi: Accusing CEC Gyanesh Kumar of “treason against the nation and Constitution”, the Congress on Saturday demanded the “removal” of the poll panel’s chief at symbolic “public impeachment proceedings” organised at the official residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The event, held at a special set recreating the interiors of Lok Sabha including the Speaker’s dais, kicked off with Kharge reading out a set of six key charges against Gyanesh Kumar and moving a “resolution” for consideration and passage during the mock proceedings.
With former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar chairing the proceedings, Kharge said the presence of Gyanesh Kumar at the helm of the Election Commission of India was a threat to “impartial polls, democracy and Constitution”.
The resolution mentioned six charges against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and alleged that Gyanesh Kumar conspired to steal elections; deleted 13.2 crore voters; rewrote Form 6 without Parliamentary approval; seized the electoral rolls through ECINET; shut out the other two commissioners and acted at the behest of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Attacking the government for wrongly accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of inciting the youth, Kharge also trained his guns on the RSS for its alleged opposition to adult franchise since the adoption of the Constitution.
Kharge said, “We want to save the foundation of democracy which is being threatened by the BJP.”
He demanded that Gyanesh Kumar be “removed forthwith” and the SIR of electoral rolls be stopped immediately.
The Congress President and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha also sought the immediate cancellation of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, that provides life-long legal protection to election commissioners.
Kharge said members of the INDIA bloc represent 60 per cent of the country’s population and, through the “impeachment proceedings”, demand that the CEC Gyanesh Kumar should “be tried for treason in a court of law”.
As he tabled the resolution during the proceedings to mark the start of debate, members of the INDIA bloc applauded him by thumping desks and shouted slogans like “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod”.
–IANS–
